Back pain and injury is a widespread ailment. Many such injuries can linger for extended periods and can cause recurring discomfort and pain. These injuries and pain can stem from many different sources, including repeated lifting, bending, long periods spent in fixed positions, and the like.
In many cases, proper stretching of the back is considered to be an integral part of the recovery and rehabilitation process. However, personal back stretching routines such as twisting and bending is inadequate to fully stretch the back muscles. A much wider range of motion in many more directions is required in order to most completely and efficiently heal back ailments and restore comfort to the inflicted.
Various attempts have been made to provide a device which aids in the stretching and recuperation of back muscles. Examples of these attempts can be seen by reference to several U.S. patents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,126, issued in the name of Grotstein, describes an abdominal and back exercising apparatus. The Grotstein apparatus provides a resilient member to allow a user to undertake resistive sit-ups or resistive back exercises.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,746,384, issued in the name of Cole et al., describes an apparatus for exercising the lumbar region of the back. The Cole apparatus is designed for a user to exercise their back by bending and subsequently elevating their back muscles while simultaneously holding a set of handheld weights.
Additionally, ornamental designs for abdominal and back muscle stretching apparatuses exist, particularly U.S. Pat. Nos. D 288,459 and D 380,024. However, none of these designs are similar to the present invention.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives, each of these references suffer from one (1) or more of the aforementioned disadvantages. Many such devices do not allow sufficient customizability for users of different sizes and preferences. Also, many such devices are limited to the number of back stretches that can be performed. Furthermore, many such devices do not provide precise data feedback to a user.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a personal stretching and rehabilitation apparatus without the disadvantages as described above. The development of the present invention substantially departs from the conventional solutions and in doing so fulfills this need.